Set after the series, when Yui is in her first year of high school.
To this day, Yui found it incredibly cliche how she - the quiet kid - was assigned the seat at the corner of the classroom, the one right next to a window she could stare out of in deep thought. Not that she didn't indulge in the cliche - she certainly spent a fair amount of time staring off into the buildings across Nanamori High School, as well as the streets winding along said buildings that, on the days she was lucky, had people walking to and fro for her to observe. On the really lucky days (lucky, as they were nearing the start of winter), she'd be able to appreciate a clear blue sky, and maybe even point out to herself an interesting cloud formation.
Today wasn't one of those days. The autumn showers had descended upon them, and Yui found that her afternoons were increasingly dotted with overcast skies. The loss of her sunny blue skies meant the loss of Yui's source of mid-class distraction, as the walls and rooftops of the nearby buildings never changed and the cold meant there were no passersby for her to watch. She turned her head from the window, her eyes darting around the classroom for something else to take her mind off of her teacher's mindless rambling.
Her eyes fell upon a ponytail of violet hair beside her, before she sharply adjusted her gaze back to their maths teacher.
I really need to stop looking at her! Yui chastised herself.
It was kind of creepy, really, how much she'd caught herself idly staring at Ayano recently. Sure, they'd become good friends; walking back from school with someone every single day would do that to you. Still, it wasn't like she stared at Kyouko all the time - not that it would have been easy to, since the blonde had been assigned the front seat. It seemed her reputation in middle school preceded her.
Yui, once again restless, elected to (shamelessly) shift her eyes back to Ayano, who was currently biting at the edge of her pen, clearly in deep thought. Maths was definitely not one of Ayano's strong suits (the exact opposite could be said for Yui - hence the lack of attention in class), and Yui let herself enjoy the sight - Ayano's face, cheeks lightly dusted with pink from the chill. Her soft lips, wrapped around a ballpoint pen, one Yui recognized as Ayano's favorite brand. Her legs, gently swinging underneath the table - a sign of the violet-haired girl's focus when tackling a difficult problem, just another one of Ayano's endearing quirks.
...when did Ayano get so cute? And more importantly, when (and why!?) did Yui mentally categorize all of her friend's habits?
Yui had evidently stared for too long (or more likely, was too obvious about it), because her subject of attention paused her scribbling, shifting her violet eyes up to meet Yui's gaze. She tilted her head in confusion, the silent question of what's up? on her face.
On any other day - any other day at all - Yui would've rapidly looked away in embarrassment. But today wasn't any other day. Today was a day where grey skies and cold winds stole her precious window view, and Ayano's violet eyes were the only view she could get. (And what a nice view it is, Yui thought to herself absently).
Much to her own surprise, Ayano didn't look away either. Yui felt like she was caught in some spell of hers; violet pools drawing her in. After what seemed like hours, Ayano broke off the stare, returning to her work - her cheeks, Yui noticed, a slightly stronger shade of pink. Yui rested her chin on her hand and tried (and utterly failed) to pay attention to the class. In her furtive glances towards her original subject of interest, she noticed Ayano's legs were rigidly planted on the floor, as if she was trying to rid herself of any distractions.
What was it about Ayano that she found so fascinating? These days, she found her thoughts increasingly filled with Sugiura Ayano and all her unique, charming quirks; if she didn't know any better, she'd claim to have a crush on her violet-haired friend.
Do I know any better, though?
Her blood froze in her veins as she considered the possibility. Up until then, love had never really crossed Yui's mind. Sure, it was great watching others, and she was happy when Himawari and Sakurako finally got their shit together and started dating, but she'd never really considered the possibility that she would now be the one in love with someone else in their group. It was strange; utterly, utterly strange - and decidedly non-cliche - that it would be Ayano of all people.
Yui spent the rest of the lesson simply alternating her gaze between the blackboard and the grey sky outside, trying to think of other reasons to explain her recent fascination. She had none.
"You're running faster than usual today, Yui. Something on your mind?"
Chitose was, in Yui's opinion, the most perceptive of the group. The white-haired girl didn't hide it, either; Yui felt most of Chitose's questions were really just disguised statements. And she certainly wasn't wrong this time: Yui had been questioning, among other things, her own sexuality, as well as her feelings for a certain violet-haired girl.
"No, I've just been pretty stressed recently, and I guess I'm trying to work it off now." Which wasn't entirely a lie - Yui's method of destressing was running. She just conveniently failed to specify the exact type of stress she was going through.
Chitose glanced at her, and for a second Yui was sure the other girl was going to probe further, but after a few moments she picked up on Yui's hint, and simply replied: "Well, high school is pretty stressful. Still, don't run too fast; we still have three laps ahead of us."
Yui found Chitose's words mildly ironic, as it was clearly the white-haired girl that was pushing herself to meet Yui's quickened I'm-running-away-from-my-feelings pace. "Sorry." Yui gave a small smile as she slowed down.
Yui - and the rest of their group - had been surprised to hear that Chitose had taken up the track and field club this year, as opposed to joining the Student Council like Ayano had. 'It's important to keep healthy' was the only explanation any of them got out of the girl. Yui was secretly glad, though, to have a friend in track and field. Running was fun and all, but it could get real boring real fast, and Yui was glad to have a friend to talk to most of the time. Personally, Yui was surprised to find out, firsthand, that Chitose was surprisingly good at athletics. Sure, she wasn't a good runner, but the white-haired girl had, in the short few months of being in the club, set some school records for the long jump.
They had all grown up to find their niche in life, Yui reflected. Chitose had certainly found something she was good at; Ayano's passion for being actively involved in supporting the school and its students carried with her from middle school, and even as a first year student she was already making waves; Kyouko, in traditional Kyouko fashion, joined the manga drawing club, where she even met some devout fans of her doujin - all in all, a far cry from the unproductive days of the Amusement Club.
They'd matured beyond that, too - having grown their social circles. Kyouko, for instance, had been asked out on dates by a few (okay, a lot) of their classmates; something which, in retrospect, was bound to happen. In fact, it happened so much that it was christened Toshinou Fever - whenever a boy or girl fell for the blonde's 'endless charm and supreme looks'. Which made this next question (Yui told herself) completely justified:
"Say, Chitose…" Yui began, "...have you ever dated anyone?"
"Ah, so that's what it's about, huh?" Chitose smiled knowingly, and Yui felt like an idiot for trying to pull one over the great and mighty Chitose Ikeda. "You can trust me, you know," Chitose said teasingly, "I promise I won't tell anyone."
Yui contemplated coming clean to her friend. She knew Chitose wouldn't tell anyone; the girl was far too respectful to spread secrets. And hell, Yui was just feeling confused and frustrated and she just needed someone to tell her what all these new feelings meant. With that in mind, she decided to throw caution to the wind.
"So there's this girl in our class I like," Keep it vague, Yui.
"Ah." Chitose interrupted, as if it was obvious who it was. Yui certainly hoped it wasn't. "So you've caught Toshinou Fever too, huh?"
The absurdity of the statement cause Yui to temporarily forget how to walk, resulting in the raven haired girl tumbling to the ground.
"Ow, ow, ow…" Yui whimpered slightly. Chitose extended a hand to help her up, which she graciously accepted. The pair moved to the side to make way for some of the runners behind them; each one asking her if she was okay.
"I'm fine, really - I just tripped on a rock." Yui reassured for the umpteenth time, starting her pace up again, her companion following suit. When she was sure that no one was within hearing range of them, she turned to Chitose.
"Kyouko? Seriously?" Nothing against her best friend, but she wasn't exactly her own idea of someone dateable. Everyone who'd caught 'Toshinou Fever' had clearly never spent any time cleaning up after the blonde.
"Huh, it's not Kyouko?" Chitose genuinely looked surprised; Yui didn't know whether that was a good or bad sign. "I always figured you two had some 'childhood friends fall in love with each other' thing going on. I mean, she's pretty touchy with you." Chitose had been reading way too many romance novels, Yui noted to herself.
"No, that's just Kyouko being Kyouko." Yui deadpanned.
"Hm, okay then." Yui was surprised at the speed at which Chitose accepted this revelation. "So who's the lucky girl?"
Yui felt her throat dry. Ah, the question. "It's…" Yui stumbled over her words, wondering why, exactly, did she find it so hard to just say who it was. It wasn't as if Yui had any reservations about telling Chitose - rather, it was almost as if she didn't want to say it out loud, because that would make it all too real.
"It's...Uh…." Oh just say it already damnit "...A-Ayano. Like our friend Ayano. N-Not that I know any other Ayanos, of course." You are such an idiot. She chastised herself, not for the first time that day.
Chitose really looked surprised now. "Ayano?" She asked, "I can't really say I'm surprised," Her face doesn't exactly reflect that, Yui thought to herself, "You two have gotten a lot closer this year, and she does talk about you a lot more now…"
Yui tuned out the rest of whatever Chitose was saying; her mind was far too focused on her newfound revelation. She talks about me more now? Yui's cheeks would've heated up, had they not already been red from exercise. What did it mean? Maybe - just maybe - the other girl returned her feelings as well? Wait, that's ridiculous. Her saying stuff to Chitose doesn't really mean anything.
Yui knew she was getting ahead of herself.
"...so I guess what I'm really trying to say is, go for it, Yui!" Chitose concluded her monologue by flashing a grin at Yui while giving her two thumbs up, displaying her support. The pair stopped running, the school bell having gone, and the duo made their way towards a nearby water fountain, the white-haired girl bending down to take a drink.
"Well, I don't know…" It was the truth. If there was one thing Yui was absolutely certain of right now, it was simply that she really, really did not know how to deal with all her newfound feelings. "But I can't just go up to her and ask 'Hey Ayano you want to, like, be my girlfriend or something?', can I?" Yui asked, her tone biting with sarcasm.
"Well, you certainly can-" Chitose teased in return, "but that doesn't mean you should. Just, like, ask her out on a date - it'll let you decide if your feelings are genuine or not."
"I guess…" Yui lay down on the ground, pushing her back up against a nearby tree, "I don't know if I'd have the courage to ask something like that out of the blue, though…"
"Well, at the very least, you can just ask her to hang out with you. That's kind of like a date, I suppose." Chitose sat down next to Yui, crossing her legs, "And hey, you couldn't have chosen a better time for this. It's Friday, remember? Just ask her if she's free on Saturday or something."
"And what if she's not?" Yui asked.
"Then you try again some other time." Chitose countered.
"What if it makes things weird between us?"
"It won't, and you know it won't."
Yui sighed, tilting her head back to stare through the canopy of leaves above her - at the blue sky that should've been there. "Why is love so hard, Chitose?" She asked, exasperated.
"It wouldn't be fun otherwise." Chitose sagely stated, "And if it makes you feel any better…"
"Yeah?" Yui would get comfort wherever she could take it.
"The fact that you've actually admitted the possibility of liking someone," Chitose smirked, "means you're already more honest with yourself than Ayano ever was."
Yui struggled to say something.
No, really. The routine walk back with Ayano contained a fair amount of silence - which was fine, since they were both naturally silent people - but it always was a comfortable silence, where the two of them were just content to be in each other's presence after a long day in school. This was a stifling silence; at least, it certainly felt that way on Yui's side. Ayano walked by without concern, fingers idly playing with the hem of her shirt and- stop staring at her you idiot.
Yui struggled to pop the question (you know, now that I think it out loud that way it's almost like I'm going to propose to her… wait, did I really just think that) and her time was running short, as she spotted the familiar traffic light a few blocks away that represented their separating point. Gulping, she steeled her resolve, her hand tightening around her bag strap.
It's just hanging out - it's not any different to any other time you've asked her to come to your house. Except it totally is because this is the first time you've actually asked her out to hang out with you alone and in like what's basically a date.
Yui was so absorbed in giving herself a pep talk that she didn't notice her surroundings - a fact she demonstrated by walking directly into a traffic light, her forehead colliding with the metal pole in a loud clang.
"Yui!" Ayano cried out in concern as the girl in question leant against a nearby wall, rubbing small circles on her forehead. "Are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah..." Embarrassing yourself in front of your crush - nice going, Yui. "I-I'm fine. Don't worry about it, Ayano."
"Well, if you're sure…" Ayano eyed Yui, as if trying to get Yui to admit her injuries, "I'll see you on Monday, then. Have a good weekend!" The violet-haired girl started to walk away, but Yui, seeing her chance slip before her fingers, panicked.
"Wait, Ayano!" She cried out.
Ayano turned back. "Yeah?"
"Are you free, uhm… I mean, do you want to, uhh…" When did I develop a stuttering problem?
Yui cleared her throat, taking a moment to collect her thoughts, as well as remember Chitose's limited - but still helpful - advice. "If you're free tomorrow, we could hang out. I mean, if you want to…?" Yui didn't think just saying a sentence could make someone blush, but she was clearly wrong if the heat in her cheeks was any indication.
Luckily for her, she wasn't the only one. Ayano's face took on a noticeable shade of pink, as she struggled to reply: "Uh… just the two of us?"
"Yeah." Yui confirmed, only to retract her statement at the stale silence that followed, "I-I mean, if you're not comfortable with that, I could always ask Kyouko if she's free." Not that the blonde ever wasn't.
"No, no!" Ayano waved her hands frantically, "I was just making sure. So, uh, what do you want to do?"
"Uh…" Damnit, Chitose. Yui hadn't thought that far in advance yet. "Lunch?"
"Sounds good to me." Ayano replied, almost… shyly? "Uh, there's this new place that opened up recently that I've wanted to try, if you don't mind going…"
"Sure!" Yui replied (perhaps far too enthusiastically), glad that she wasn't the one that had to make plans. How, again, hadn't she actually thought about what and where to go? "So, I'll see you tomorrow then. Text me name of the place tonight?"
"O-Okay." Ayano replied, stuttering (much to Yui's confusion). "See you tomorrow, then. Bye!" Yui was about to reply before Ayano turned tail and nearly ran back in the direction of her house.
"Yeah, bye…" Yui called out to the disappearing silhouette. She waited before Ayano was out of hearing range (not that that took much time at all) before letting out a massive sigh, dragging herself back in the direction of her apartment, her heart fluttering in anticipation. "Well…" Yui looked up at the sky, orange rays filtering through thick clouds as the sun reached the horizon, "I guess it's a date."
Amidst the chilly autumn winds that stripped the trees of their leaves, Yui felt strangely warm on the walk back home, her mind clouded with thoughts of a violet-haired girl.
Hah, Yui/Ayano. I'm as surprised as you are.
In other news, Yuru Yuri S3 is over :( my heart can't take this damnit